Sherri. You’re husband is too sick to be around. You have to come in here with us where you’ll be safe,” Jayda coaxed.
“No. You have to help him.”
“I can’t. Listen, you need to come in here and watch a minute of the news. It will explain what’s happened to him,” Jayda pulled Sherri in.
Richard shut the door and locked it behind her. They watched her watch the news. They argued back and forth trying to catch her up and get her to understand.
“It doesn’t make sense. You’re telling me that Stan died in his sleep and came back a zombie? That’s not funny or possible,” Sherri wept.
“I don’t know for sure. I’m telling you that Lisa looked dead when she broke in here. She crashed through a window, destroyed the house, and we could barely subdue her. We hit her with a bat and she got back up and lunged for me again,” Jayda explained. “Did Stan look odd? Was his flesh discolored? Were his eyes glazed?”
“Yes, but he looked worse by the hour yesterday. So by the time he woke up early this morning, with no lights on and only the sunrise to see by, I didn’t get a good look,” Sherri explained. “Please, come over and look at him, Jayda.”
“How did he not touch you?” Richard asked.
“I woke to his groan. So I was walking toward him when he lunged at me. I guess instinct made me move. I just assumed he’d lost his mind with fever or something. Nothing I said made him or the horrible moans stop, so I came to get Jayda. I’d hid downstairs and tried to the call the police, but the phone line was down or something still. Guess I get why now.”
“I’ve always told you that you needed to watch more TV and read less books,” Jayda said in an attempt to lighten the mood, even if only a smidge.
“Please come over. You said you don’t know for sure,” Sherri begged.
“No!” Richard yelled. “No one is going over there.”
Jayda shot him a look then urged Sherri to come to the bathroom. With the door only cracked, one look at Lisa had Sherri retching.
“I’ve told you in detail what happened. Did Stan look like this, act like that?” Jayda asked softly.
“Yes,” Sherri sobbed. “So, he’s dead?”
“Maybe. Either way, from what they say on TV, he’s lost. There hasn’t been a case of someone with the virus getting better,” Jayda said softly.
“Please. Please, Jayda. Just come across the street and look at him. I couldn’t take the thought of him attacking someone,” Sherri begged.
That was all it took. Jayda fought with Richard and convinced him to go across the street. She promised they’d be smart about it. They’d look both ways and if safe, go across. They’d also look in the windows, and if safe, go in armed. He’d relented between the two women begging him. Jayda had known he would.
With the sky deep pink with the sunrise, they’d gotten across the street safely, with Richard the lookout. The women peeked in the windows. Through the living room sheers, they could see him bumbling around. They heard his deep, guttural groans. Sherri whimpered beside Jayda with her hand over her mouth. Stan broke a lamp with his clumsy walk, making Sherri shriek. He turned to the window then.
“Richard,” Jayda demanded his attention. “We need to go around back now. He’s spotted us and will break through this window.”
Richard obeyed. Sherri got the hidden key and let them in the back. They agreed to follow the plan they had come up with at Jayda’s.
Jayda held out the blankets they’d brought from home, giving one each to her husband and her neighbor. They moved in unison to the living room. Stan turned to them as they entered. As expected, he made short time of coming at them. As he lunged, both Richard and Sherri tossed the heavy wool camping blankets over Stan. He fought and stumbled, but Richard and Sherri had been able to sandwich him as Jayda went in to put his head in a hold.
They moved as quickly as they could with the fierce fighter under